Secrets of Cathedral Styles
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- Exploring the world of cathedral architecture offers a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of art, religion, and history. Each architectural style, such as Gothic, Cistercian, Romanesque, Byzantine, and Neoclassical, is not just a matter of aesthetic preference; it reflects the theological and philosophical views of the era in which it was built.
For instance, Gothic cathedrals, are famous for their towering heights and soaring spires, which were not possible in early Romanesque constructions. But the reason for learning how to engineer these new heights came from a desire to flood the church nave with more light, because the theologians thought that light was the best symbol of the divine presence, of Christ "illuminating" the world. In contrast, Cistercian architecture, with its emphasis on simplicity and austerity, mirrored a monastic life dedicated to purity and asceticism.
This video is adapted from insights in the book "The House of God" by Edward Norman.
A lot of these observations come from the book “House of God” by Edward Norman. He is a historian and former priest and goes into the psychological depth of the architectural styles mentioned here, plus many others like Romanesque, Neoclassical, and Hermit Abbeys. Absolutely stunning color photography too.
Will you ever write a book of your own connecting all these facts in your own mind? Or more longform videos. I'm interested in what learning and teaching all of this has taught you. I understand shorts perform better but damn these tidbits leave me interested.
I really love your videos.
i would like to add, sound was also a focus when building these, there is a belief that sound can heal the spirit. Some of the mosaics are built to reflect cymatic patterns. (sound visualized)
What is a former priest? I have never heard of a priest being former. I thought priesthood is for life...
Hey, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it or read it, but there’s a book called “The master and his emissary” by Ian Mc…something. It might get somewhat biological at certain points but it is a nice perspective, by which he describes how we happen to experience the world and that culture, arts, religion etc. are representatives of some of the patterns our perception of the world illustrates.
Dude
No matter what your religion is, some of those cathedrals look absolutely breathtaking
I am an atheist but damn that is some good looking buildings. Especially baroque ones.
Absolutely! I'm Muslim and I would definitely like to visit some of those cathedrals. 😇
@@pixelmango2920same!
Yeah. I'm not religious, but one of my favorite places on Earth is Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy - the one with the famous dome. And many places I'd love to visit are other churches and cathedrals in Europe, especially Gothic cathedrals, plus mosques around the world. They're just stunning. It's amazing to me how people are inspired by religion to create such beauty.
Yup... but imagine how silly would those people feel now knowing that religion is BS and they could actually rather save half of their children from starving to death with all that effort and money church robbed them for:/
I gotta say, I wish we valued architecture like this today
Take a look at the Mormons lol they got that shit on lock
We do. It just isn’t cost effective to build something so extravagant. Plus, some of these cathedrals took 100+ years to build.
It still is. Just a different architectural style
whose pocket is it gonna come out of and for whose benefit?
Same. We’ve lowered our standards bc industrialization basically had the fast food effect on architecture. It’s cheap and fast, so anybody that doesn’t want to do that is going above and beyond.
It can also be a reflection of acoustics or the availability of a sound system. High vaulted cathedrals carried sound before microphones.
Yes! It's amazing how they could build it to make everyone hear mass
I'm not religious but I was at a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons in Glasgow Cathedral just before Christmas. I wondered how it would sound in such a building but it was fine. Mind you, this was my first live performance.
Yeah I love singing in churches or cathedrals! Didn't know they were specifically designed like that though!
Catholic temples!!!
@@duncanbryson1167to the glory of God Almighty!
My dads a pastor and he my mom and I were recently taking a vacation in Italy. We were touring this cathedral and realized they were about to start mas so we started to head out. But before we did the church goers started singing and even though it was in Italian and none of us could really understand it the way the music echoed in the building was breathtaking.
Worth it for just that.
Explore music.
It is meaningful.
And it makes a difference.
Why did you not want to stay for the Mass?
@@TheNoiseySpectatorChristians don't believe in Catholic views it's ironic really
You should've stayed for the mass, there's no reason to be afraid of the believers of the true apostolic faith.
@@justincase9422 Well, 1. I am a believer, but I’m also Lutheran so I don’t think I would have been super welcome. 2. It was at the end of a long day of walking and touring and we were all really hungry and tired. And 3. The service was in Italian. We couldn’t have understood anything even if we had stayed
Just a correction, a cathedral is not just a fancy word for a church, it is where the seat of a bishop is. A cathedral can some pieces of wood duct taped together as long as a bishop operates from there. In addition, you could build the most ornate church in the world and it would not be a chathedral if there is no bishop governing from there. Christian denominations without an episcopal hierarchy do not have cathedrals.
Womp womp
The biggest church in the world is not w cathedral (St Peter's basilica) and the second one used to not be also until 2016
@@pedrolmlkzkSagrada Familia is another great example of a huge and amazing church that's not a Cathedral
Eh… yet you can have a cathedral ceiling and no bishop
Colloquially, many people call the church itself a cathedral. It's pretty common.
When I was the Navy we were on a deployment in the Med, and one of our ports was Marseilles, France. While walking around with a few buddies we saw a cathedral and decided to go inside an have a look around the place. Little did we know, that church was the Notre-Dame de la Garde which had origins spanning back as far as 1218. We were standing in a structure that predated our country by almost 700 years. It was after that deployment and seeing many ancient sites and structures including Roman ruins that I decided to study history in college and made it my life's passion, because the more you know history the better you can predict the future.
That is so true. Plus I was told “The reason we learn about wars is so we learn how to prevent them from happening”
@@BMoney8600who's "we"
@@user-nc2ey4kw7r “we” is all of us
Been in that exact church for that exact reason.
@@user-nc2ey4kw7rhumanity stupid
The cathedrals we could make today would be truly divine
Nope. The architects would not allow it.
Well we’re still making them: have you been to Barcelona to see the Sagrada Familia?
@@tavernburner3066nahh, it's more like a budget wouldn't allow it. Even more simplistic designs are still made recently in Okc a Catholic cathedral has been built
Look at Liverpool catholic cathedral og design that is lovely
Yeah it depends on the denomination, but most churches would be accused of wasting money if they tried to do something truly elaborate today. There are plenty of churches that spend way too much money building a buildings, but it's usually because they're building a preschool or kitchen or a playground or something for the youth program... Spending tons and tons of money simply to make the church look beautiful usually does lead to more criticisms about how it should be money spent on ministry, charity, etc. And that's a pretty valid criticism honestly. If people nearby are facing homelessness, where is Jesus more likely to direct our money? People have been criticizing churches of stained glass hypocrisy for years.
Those gothic cathedrals with tall stained glass windows behind the altar on a sunny morning is the most beautiful a church can ever be
👍 I live in Cologne, and I recommend visiting the cathedral on a sunny day. My favourite window is the Richter (famous modern artist) on the south side. It’s just colorful squares, but it’s so beautiful!
In summer it’s also rather cool inside, which is a plus.
You failed to mention acoustics. In the eras before microphones and amplification the architecture and vaulted ceilings allowed for sound to echo and travel above the standing crowd. Look into Bach and Handel's works for differing overviews of writing music for the church, and how their chorale vs organ vs harpsichord set ups affected the quality of the performance.
Edited because autocorrect autofailed. "Perfirmance" is not a word phone 😮💨
Of course! Vaulted ceilings was another way to allow sounds to reach a vast audience, so everyone could understand what's going on.
And the funding allocated to those buildings to be built in the first place.
Also vaulted ceilings are very efficient ways to make it stable- you need fewer supports if the arch of the ceiling buttresses itself.
I'm sure there are a hundred things he failed to include, but he was only making a video about how belief shapes the church, ya know? It could take forever if he tried including it all. This would make an interesting full video though. Most people find architecture boring but I think it's pretty cool.
I think while including acoustics, they’ve also consider the beauty of long lasting architecture. Choosing stone and masonry they’ve built long lasting places of worship and can stand against the test of time - ‘if it’s holy, take care of it, especially if you pass down the generations’.
Gothic cathedrals and so many others are absolutely breathtaking
On the outside, yes. Baroque churches are much more beautiful on the inside.
@SordidusFellatio FOR THE EMPEROR AND FOR HOLY TERRA
Plot twist: no God.
Plot twist: its still a very good looking building@@hal90001
Nah byzantine on top
“Materialism is evil”
Builds the most enchanting massive cathedral to ever exist.
Men gave their entire lives creating cathedrals, generation after generation, to redeem themselves from Materialism. They dedicated their lives to utilizing materialism to uphold God by looking beyond materialism and dreaming these enchanting cathedrals, because to be enchanting is to be beyond, and that is what's accomplished by Cathedrals, they shape materialism into mysticism and religious spectacle by showing DIRECTLY how men in the past who uphold you, who carved and placed the stones you stand on, were so devoted to a God they've never known that they'd build these beautiful idols with their entire being, many never seeing the end of the Construction. Just look at Notre Dame's construction history (before the fire)
Yeah, typical church's hypocrisy
That isn't materialism, funny joke though
Yet our materialistic era is the most simple ugliest looking.
ahaha, that last "modern" church just cracked me up 😂
*modern "church"
protestant church
" "modern" """"church"""" "
It looks like a small town grocery store 😅
@@AthenatheNightWingit's only a room where belivers can meet and talk about a book. It has no use being big and nice looking.
I went to Toledo Spain and my god the cathedral of Toledo is one of the biggest and most beautiful cathedrals I’ve ever seen. Took like 400 years to build the stone work and detail of every inch is a spectacle to behold.
You should look up the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mexico City. It's like a small town. Absolutely mind blowing.
It's like government.. the more 💰 they can use to adorn/decorate things, the more they can ask for, & the more they can take on the side. 😮😢
I looked it up, it looks amazing, kind of average in size for European cathedrals tho, at least in Spain
@odynith9356 That's I think my favorite Catherdal that I've visited too!!! It's is absolutely gorgeous 😍
@@jonslg240what the fuck are you even saying
churches and cathedrals will always be some of the most beautiful feats of human architecture
The Las Vegas dome clears
it’s amazing what the influence of god can do 🙏
The Bean in Chicago>>🥱
@@_michael_q THE BEAN 🫘
But also that one’s not really architecture, it’s a sculpture and doesn’t serve a practical purpose.
I did a project about it in my design class and ended up reading deep into the drama surrounding the artist. o.o
Makes sense, who wouldn't want to put their best foot foward when showing reverence to their deity
I went to York minster last year and when I stepped inside I was almost in tears. I couldn’t believe men could build such a beautiful place centuries beforehand, it was a site to behold
Same with La Sagrada Familia, its a breathtaking place to go, and its not even finished yet
Small note- the baroque style in portugal was used more as a protection insted of fully simbolic. Its sturdy and bunker like apearance was used as a place where villagers could hide if the village was ever invaded by an army
Right like small note on gothic too: they built it higher under the idea that the higher you get, the closer you are to the heavens and god. Introduced by Abbot Suger, light was still an important concept though, symbolising god; this is also the reason you could see in cathedrals like the Chartres that one of the defining features of gothic art is their stained glass.
So you could say it was a refuge, both for the spirit and for the body
@@conscript900 in a sence.
Yes, while you were inside it wasnt unusual for people to pray for help while under atack
The monastery of Leça do Balio is a good example of fortified religious architecture
Amd you brought it here later. Assuming the churches at Ouro Preto follow the same style as the barroco português.
They also sometimes include resonance patterns into the glass and stone work. Really fascinating
I don't think there's a single channel doing better shorts on the entire platform than yours. Content is so unique and interesting and structured perfectly with very good production too.
I agree
second that 👌🏻
definitely, these videos are so good even from an atheist perspective, pure quality right here
Couldn't agree more!
I want to like them, but I can't trust anything he says after some incredible sensational lies/misconceptions I've seen him pass as fact. Eg. that all high schoolers in Finland can speak 4 (or 5? can't remember, both false) languages when they graduate.
This spring I got the chance to go to france and sing with my chorus in two cathedrals, both looked vastly different and the sound of our voices bouncing back at us was gorgeous
I'll need to remember this next time I build a cathedral.
Don't build a walmart-style one please 😇
Once i built a cathedral in minecraft that looked like the duomo of Milan
Check out LDS temples
...in minecraft
It should also be noted that often climate can affect how churches are built, at least from what I was taught in art history. Roman churches had small, round windows mostly while the further north you go (and the more gothic) the taller and more frequent the windows became. This, according to my professor, had to do with internal thermo-regulation
Sorry, but that doesn't actually make much sense to me. Higher ceilings are frequently an adaptation for warm climates, since heat rises away from where people are, whereas having fewer windows reduces solar gain. Honestly I think a big thing is simply building technology. The Romanesque style precedes the Gothic style, and the Gothic style was only possible because of some important innovations that allowed people to build that high. Clearly this is a much more complicated topic than can be addressed in a youtube short.
@@moratiwawaka yeah the idea was more windows let more light in which meant more heat in colder regions. It was likely multifactorial like you're saying. I will say that both building styles we were looking at in that class had really high ceilings, so idk if that helps clarify. That teacher also had demonstrable memory issues though, so i take things i learned in that class with a grain of salt lol. Thanks for this info!
@@floweryomi5351 This sounds like forcing a bad theory onto a sound observation.
The sunlight coming in through the windows does warm the place internally, but not more than it leaks heat like crazy in 80% of the time - basically at night, and the whole way through the colder half of the year.
The reason for small windows is sound, maintaining a cool temperature inside helps.
But cathedrals lacked effective internal heating - in fact they had no heating at all -, so there was no heat to regulate at all.
What seems far more likely is that this way they increased LIGHT. People really underestimate how dark Europe is during the winter. We're significantly higher up than the US, so basically during winter, you get like 4 hours of decent sunlight, 4 hours of filtered sunlight... and that's it. So using large windows extends productive hours by the sunlight by quite a few hours. Pretty important for monks, with their work philosophy and whatnot. Also, the whole "closer to god by light" theme.
I think the far more insane part of this is that medieval cathedrals really had no heating. HOW THE F_CK DID PEOPLE NOT FREEZE?
Christian churches started getting bigger and flashier while christianity started spreading more towards the north, got more supporters and more money
@@TheDeltaMoo You realize that christianity was introduced into Europe through Rome, right?
Hi, former church staff here.
There’s also a _huge_ factor which is cost.
For one, if it’s a “planted church” (I.e. another church or organization is paying their start up costs, which can be quite considerable) they don’t want to blow their entire budget on a building.
Second, ease of access. If you want your church to be inner city it’s almost impossible to start a _new_ church and get enough land to build a more traditional building.
Third, it’s not _just_ that the material world is fleeting, but also that The Church is comprised of the Body of Christ, as in the assembly of believers. Buildings are nice, but in the most literal sense there is no such building as “a church.”
And for Protestants in general there’s a “don’t be like the catholics” sentiment that could also influence that.
Your response is what I wanted to say!
That's funny because protestants have megachurches with pastors that are millionaires. It's an extreme but in complete contradiction with what you've said because these huge stadium-like churches can technically be counted as the new type of architecture for churches. Why? Because for every "Notre-Dame de Paris", you probably had hundreds of small churches without the budget to make things like that. And yet they're regarded as the style for their time. That's in direct comparison to today as well.
@@w花b 2/3 of my points were directly talking about newer/smaller churches, like the one featured in the video.
The final one does apply to all churches who share that theology (which I think is most Protestants) but there certainly are wasteful charlatans with lots of popularity and money.
@@Jessie_Helmsbro preach that last part more often, yall gotta be ridiculing the mega church fanatics if theyre ever gonne see the obvious wrongs in their system.
I'm glad you mentioned the start up cost. I posted a comment talking about how much more expensive it is to buy a plot of land and build an entirely new building than it ever has been in the past, and how churches just starting out simply can't afford it. The church that opened for the "younger generation" when I was in high school, opened IN my high school and has expanded from there to another used building. What new church has the money for incredible, detailed, intricate architecture unless the owner is a millionaire to begin with?
This actually answers a lot of questions that I have had over the years. Thank you!
Fr me too. Especially for the modern churches I always wondered why they were built in strip malls or random buildings
This video is bs lol, starting from the fact that he doesnt know what a cathedral is.
You look at Notre Dame and just see beauty. The arches, the windows, the towers. It is breathtaking.
Especially with all that lead it spread out around 😅😂😂😂
Did look great. I went in 2018 before it burned…
The most beautiful part was the "Forest", the intricate wood structure that supported the roof. I was lucky enough to visit for work (I was a guide preparing a circuit. But the Forest was closed to visitors usually). I'm not religious but there was something in that place. The work of hundreds of people 800 years ago, fixed in time, intricate and seemingly eternal.
Good thing is the restoration is almost complete, altho the windows are a mockery to the previous ones.
Man I'm an agnostic but every time I go traveling and visit some of these amazing gothic and baroque cathedrals I'm always amazed at the engineering talent that went into building them. People spent generations laying bricks of a building that their grandchildren probably wouldn't live to see, we've really lost that kind of thinking as a people.
Something that really strikes me about it is that atheists and agnostics seem to have no desire to make such beautiful buildings of their own. Like, if religion really was this massive impediment to progress and art, surely secular art would be the best. And yet, I always find myself coming back to ancient cathedrals and lamenting that we don't build things that are truly beautiful anymore.
Maybe I am just biased, but I think the secular world is pretty lacking when it comes to art and architecture. Which is a shame because the world can always use more beauty.
You use an oxymoron!
An agnostic does not know that he doesn't know!!
@bearistotle2820 Those catholic cathedras were built during "the Dark ages"!!!
@bearistotle2820 agnostics have like no issue with religion, what's ur issue?
Have you been in Orthodox Churches?
“Those Ugly Strip Malls!” Hahaha! That made my night
Imagine not living in Europa. My first church visit was in an almost 1000 year old church. It was not even that impressive because there are still a lot of them around.
@@actualiygod6782 First of all: *Europe.
Second of all, America still has old churches that are still widely used to this day. There's a church just in my town that turns 100 years old this year, and there's been a church in use since 1610 that still operates as a church in New Mexico.
The age of works that we make in His honor are not that which is important; it is the devotion that was show when we build these things in His honor that matters. Strip mall churches, of course, are an abomination, though this does not mean that we, His children in the United States, have not built things in His glory as you in Europe have.
@@actualiygod6782Clearly you care about vanity more than faith
@@NcR2004 I dont care about faith at all.
@@actualiygod6782 Right, keep paying 50% income tax to give immigrants free housing and healthcare.
One of my favorite lessons regarding cathedrals and churches was from one of my dad’s friends who is an architect; “The truth will naturally create beautiful things” is what he said
What a pretty phrase.
Pity it doesn't actually mean anything.
@oldbatwit5102
??
It does have meaning given that the truth even without religious implications means that is something made with passion and since a lot of the cathedrals of old being made through generations before completion and was made with many purpose for the community, from Mass to being a literal Fortress for said town.
@@lettuceman9439 Lol, wot?
@@oldbatwit5102true. God isn't real
WOW ! THAT IN ITSELF AN AWESOME TRUTH OF THE WORLD HE HAD REVEALED TO YOU ! CAUSE IT EXACTLY IS LIKE THAT!😯👌👍👍👍👌😍😍🙏
Baroque and gothic cathedrals are just *chef kiss * they're breathtaking
As an Italian, I'm asking
What the heck is that modern church, you have no crumbling walls and freezing air inside of it?
Churches you have built by taxes and almost free labour, but the modern church is only paid and built by who goes there and funds it so it definitely can't be like italian, french or spanish churches.
@@shadowly114 I think most churches were built by donations, rather than taxes. The Vatican being an exception, as it's a city state. But they have tons of money from the churches and businesses owned by the Catholic church.
Cool looking church bu at was cost
The material world is fleeting but they get air conditioning everywhere.
As an Austrian I thought the same thing 😂. I mean I get that you wouldn't build a whole new cathedral but just something that...resembles a church? And not a grocery store?
And one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen are those mega churches they got in the US!!
I've seen the Hagia Sofia mosque which used to be a Byzantine cathedral, and the shear size of the building is absolutely stunning. There's I belive 4 different types of marble, intricate paintings on the ceiling, and is 2 stories high. You can also see where the marble threshold is worn over time around 3 inches in the center. It's crazy the things people would build so long ago.
I'm Greek with a high percentage of my heritage from pontus and I am very disappointed that the Agia Sofia Church has become a mosque and it's architecture destroyed, they removed many mosaics and added minarets and made it a mosque. Our church still spiritually represents Constantinople and the past and will never be a mosque, even when the authorities tried covering up jesus on the dome the plaster fell off, I think a bit recently that I also saw footage of people preying in the agia sofia and the ceiling falling off, the heritage scientists and people even said that it is at risk of collapse, which proves that the church wants to be a church again and rejects Islam. Even though the Agia Sofia has a mixed history, everyone can agree that it has an EXTREMELY rich history and for over 1,500 it has withstood many things that other structures couldn't.
Halfdan was there.
The saddest part about Agia Sophia is that it is meant to be the centre of Orthodoxy for the Greek people. To us it is our Mecca, our Vatican. And for it to be under the occupation of another government, defaced and perverted into a Mosque really shows how little the Turks care about Greeks, our faith or religion as a whole. One can only imagine how much more breathtaking it would be when it is finally returned to the Greeks. Still, I'm glad that you appreciated the building even in its current state.
@@dragonrings14Cope more, shouldn't have lost.
@@randomideas7799Womp womp
I've always loved going to churches and look around. They're truly a testament of human creativity.
How I wish my teacher in art class explained it this way. It could have made me appreciate why the styles are in that way and not just describing what it is.
Yeah I think the classic way of teaching it is that Romanesque architecture has arches with round tops, and Gothic architecture has arches with pointed tops. But they don’t explain why anyone was interested in figuring out how to engineer a different arch.
@@_magnify I was told the switch in the architecture from Romanesque to Gothic was so that buildings could be made taller without sacrificing structural integrity. Gothic architecture is all about getting that height, while Romanesque architecture was built using the materials at hand (mostly concrete and marble blocks, as glass was available but more expensive and hence rarer).
The Romanesque architecture did not allow for good windows, either, because their designs required the main walls to be the structural support to hold up their buildings. It probably wasn't that big a problem at the time that buildings had smaller windows, since glass would probably be expensive to manufacture and maintain, while concrete would have been considered more plentiful. So, it might have been "cheaper" to make a building in the Roman style during the Roman times.
I thought Gothic architecture was considered the "next" advancement in building architecture since the style allowed for very tall buildings with plenty of natural light coming in from the windows and supplemented the lack of structural integrity by creating tall supporting "buttresses" that created the tall-and-pointed style we talk about today. The Gothic architecture was the precursor to the skyscraper, using the materials they had at hand (glass was more easily manufactured at this time and was hence considered a building material, though the process would still be painstaking).
I think it would be better to say that religion does not change throughout history; rather, different religions prefer to use different styles of architecture (a building changes their focus), and architecture, too, changes throughout history based on the materials at hand.
@@_magnify but then again we're in Asia so we cannot relate much about this :)
@@_magnify
Acts 17:24-27 KJV
24 GOD that made the world and ALL THINGS therein, seeing that He is LORD of heaven and earth, dwelleth NOT IN TEMPLES made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the LORD(YAHWEH), if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.
Really?? I'm Spanish and all my art teachers usually explained that, at least about the light.
We don't have cathedrals made of wood, so that's fine, but I would like that they would explain to me all the other ways to explain the divinity across the architecture ❤
As a Catholic, I absolutely love the architecture of my church!
Of course, you paid for it
Isnʼt it great how everyone can be a part of something really great by giving just so little?
@@zanussidish5685good
@matheuscaneta1194 St. Joseph church bowling green Kentucky
I'm gonna save this to reference back to whenever I need to make a cathedral for my DnD setting
You sound like a good dm
A Furry and a Dungeons and Dragons player. God does punish twice.
@@HannibalKantter ...how am I a furry?
@@danielgiovanniello7217they thought your profile pic was a furry
@@danielgiovanniello7217it’s still anime so cringe
Some of the coolest cathedrals I've ever seen are lit up by natural light that comes in through a small hole at the top and the light bounces around the room. I used to have a diagram of one that was still being built after a couple hundred years I can't remember the name of it but it always amazed me at how dedicated people were back then.
The strip mall churches are a reflection of the fact the church believed it would be too expensive to build a new church and got a screaming good deal on the lease.
Why buy land and build a building when you can rent and funnel all the profits to your pocket?
@@dillonventola408Exactly. Churches are ran like businesses in today's world. It's all about how much money you make.
If there are people who doubt this, look up Joel Osteen and find a picture of his house. Guarantee it looks more like what a CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation would live in.
But what does it tell us about the churches relation to god?
You may argue it is a rejection of the material world, to keep churches simple, but to be honest evangelical churches are very material. The pilgrim fathers would have kept their churches simple for that reason.
A lot of churches don't have windows because they have to pay insurance to have them, because people tend to throw stones at them.
@@dillonventola408Dang, beat me too it! Exactly what I came to say. Strip mall churches are a reflection of a pastor’s desire to book his flock. Just look at Joel Osteen and his mansion. He isn’t interested in building a temple to God because he is more interested in building a castle for himself.
hi!! little correction from an european art history student:
a "cathedral" is a church where a bishop preaches. so every cathedral is a church, but most churches are not cathedrals.
i love your shorts, but the terminology is a little misguiding since you talk about churches in general, not just cathedrals :)
Oddly enough, i think basilica might be a better word. While it’s canonically used for deeming a church historically or architecturally important, we’re really just calling the place huuuuuge
@@simondeepBasilicas are different. They're churches that are important centres of worship or some other special reason for the title to be granted. Cathedrals are simply where a Bishop stays at.
Thanks for sharing that tidbit! I genuinely thought what made a cathedral was just relative size and grandeur. So a tiny shed could be technically a cathedral, just so long as a bishop holds services there?
@@zabchan Technically yeah. It's also his actual everyday main church, so it's a more permanent thing, to be justified for both him and the community. Just looking at US history, it took a while for a local community to grow large enough before that area was organized as a diocese, and a bishop appointed. Then a church was finally dedicated as a cathedral; oftentimes the people or the bishop went and built one after the appointment
@@zabchanNot “hold services,” but has his seat- his *cathedra.*
The Gothic style needs to come back, not just with Churches but other buildings as well.
it will ......in m31
Victorian UK was a great Gothic Revival period. Look up Augustus Pugin, Violet-le-Duc (technically French), Edwin Luyten, George Gilbert Scott.
I’m formally trained in architecture. Looking to experiment with Gothic ideas. Studying some of Middle Ages Gothic cathedrals and Victorian buildings. Hoping to get something built in my lifetime.
I would honestly honestly argue that a major factor is also how much the culture, appreciates art, architecture, and has the money to put to the designs of their buildings
grew up orthodox eastern and oriental im half palestinian and half armenian and let me just say, the churches as a child would be so mesmerizing. i remember tuning out everything as a kid bc i was a kid who didnt care to be listening to arabic surmons , and id just stare at all the paintings and stained glass above me and all the detailed paintings to my sides. you guys can actually see it too ! they are the Warrior Saints on youtube and the stream every week !
Thank you for sharing this information🙏🏽!! I hope you are doing ok right now
Oh yeah, Armenian churches are beautiful! I’m Armenian American, and my church is full of carved wood and paintings of ppl from the Bible and crosses and gold. The church is also shaped like a cross
I’ve also been to some of the churches in Armenia. Also beautiful!
So are you part of the kufar??
🇮🇱🇮🇱🇮🇱
@@AM-mv6ro are you idiotic?
Catholic church: For God just the best.
Protestant church: Spottet next to Subway In the mall.
Damn the war is still going
He literally just explained why and you're still on about this? Friendly reminder the earliest Christians worshipped in caves and cellars, God doesn't care about the style of his temple as long as his followers' worship is sincere.
It was a joke
@@cagatland7855 The early Christians who worshipped in caves weren't Catholic!
@@cagatland7855 excuses, excuses, your church is just lazy and only wants your money, thats why they had to eliminate 7 books of the canon just to steal from their followers, the catholic and ortodox churches are the only real ones created by jesus himself
This is very interesting! I can say, however, that most modern churches that meet in strip malls or other rented spaces are simply meeting where they can afford to meet. Most small churches do not have the budget to own a large church and are willing to hold services anywhere that they can.
If you want a good representation of modern church philosophy look at Crossroads Christian church in grand prairie. It's the size of a small college campus and reflects modern religions attempt to once again become part of the cultural norm
😂#allreligionsarecults #goddoesntexist #allgodsarefalse #allreligionsarewrong #science
@@scootersonlyrepair6773😂#yourlifeispointless #nothingmatters #nihilismisquirky #theonlyhopeyouhaveisthesweetreleaseofdeath
Like your worldview is better.
@scootersonlyrepair6773 hey, buddy, r/atheism is on Reddit, not TH-cam.
I'd also like to add that his description of why the church visits in strip malls is a little off. It's an understanding that the people themselves are the church, not the building, so that changes the whole way we look at the building we worship in. (At least this is the protestant view.)
Bro we can litteraly have church service at the lake standing or sitting in the sand and God would still love us and care about us as much as the next sinner that will be save soon. How much love is that????? GOD CAME DOWN IN FLESH , FLESH OF HIS BEGOTTEN to Give you a chance.
If this is how my art teacher back in high school explain art styles of different eras, I'd be way more interested in art.
They just taught this one is spikey and the other ones are not.
I’m so sorry for your experience! I was so fortunate for my art history teachers in college to be absolutely amazing. Not everything about uni was worthwhile, but those were probably the best classes I ever took there. I didn’t have any art history in high school, but tbh I’m okay with that bc I started with the best. The funny thing is that I had no real interest in art history b4 I was required to take those first couple college courses. I’d recommend finding more videos on TH-cam like this to satisfy your curiosity!
My art history classes taught me to see art differently, which imo taught me to see the world differently. I enjoy art museums in a way I never really did before. (I still sorta liked art museums as a teen, but there were many eras that didn’t capture my attention as much, and I often preferred other tourist activities).
Now that I’m out of uni, I’m worried my art history knowledge will slip over time and I won’t be able to enjoy museums in 10 years like I do now. So I also want to try to make an effort to watch more art history content on TH-cam or documentaries/movies from time to time (or read books too lol) to help keep these revelations in my mind and keep that thought process alive for me
Same. lol we had an entire lesson on Greek columns and the three or so basic types and it was random as fuck to spend that much time on pillars of all things: it may have been made more interesting if they talked about each foundation’s era of prominence and ascetic value. But no, it was pointless and forgettable.
And by the way, I’ve got a degree in history and I’m baffled at why we spent a whole week studying fucking PILLARS in my western civilization class in highschool. WE HARDLY EVEN TALKED ABOUT THEM YET A WHOLE WEEK ON PILLARS
I mean. This guy wasn't all that right. He generalised too much. Comparing church from IX century to XVIII centuru and undefined Byzantine architexture is hardly of any worth.
Also it's simply false. In IX century not every church was wooden, some were stoned. But the problem is that wood was cheaper and easier to construct. Same with bricks. Stone was always considered luxurious material.
Techmological changes also mattered. Ghotic churches are higher because they simply could be. Weight of the roof in ghtoic churches isn't based on walls like in roman case but on "supportive segments" - Idk their name in english, which are attavhed on around 60○ to walls. They were higher also because they could be closer to God - as heaven was treated literally. And so there could be more lights because windows could get bigger because weight is not directly on the wall. Also using XVIII century for Baroque is quite wrong as the style was mostly in decline as over time preffered method was either Rokoko or Clasicism. But even then it all depends on region. When Ghotic was wildely spreading in countries like Commonwealth, in France it became old and Mannierism became more favorable. This is just one example.
I also see no point in comparing modern protestant churches with Baroque churches which were mostly Catholic (tho there are some Protestant ones). It's pointless because Protestant idea on it really didn't change that much. Idea that matter is contemporary and thus unimportant is literally known in protestantism from XVI century. The difference is in shape of building that today some of the churches doesn't even look like one from the outside. But Idea at it's core is the same. Cstholic churches underwent more. Baroqie was meant to show beauty of God. He's fullness, abundance etc. It was also important for rich people. They were thanking God for their richess by giving some of it to Him. Then we have Clasicism which doesn't deny that importance but goes back directly to antiquity. It again focuses on idea of God more than matter. But then again it's all nuanced.
@@NothingSerious...2He didn't manage to fit all that in in a short of under one minute? How strange!
@@alaron5698 no ofc he couldn't vut what he said is also partially wrong. I've said more to explain why. Frankly speaking he could hsve said technological dvances without ezplaining them but he didn't. Symbolic meaning was important but it was not the only reason as video suggest
For a lot of newer non-denominational churches, we meet in the 'strip mall' buildings or even set up and then tear down every service at a building that allows us to use them for the sake of saving money. The more money saved (not taking care of rent and whatnot or construction and upkeep), the more can be put into missionary work and aid for others. It's a service-oriented perspective.
Spreading non-denominational protestantism is a dis-service. Jesus started a Church.
Not a bad system for those who are already in, but part of every mission is conversion right? Modern churches sure arent drawing in many who weren't born into it or in desperate situations. It's not something most people would want to get anywhere near if they werent part of the community already, even those who might be interested.
@@ReasonableRadio That won't stop us from trying to bring the gospel to people. We may not get huge swathes, but even just one soul being saved is worth it, as even scripture says (Luke 15:7).
Non-denominational is pretty weird in general
@@Andrea-ec8rk but the real problem is that you cannot explain some parts of the Gospel, because you don't understand it. That's why you are non-denom to begin with.
And the Gospel was not written down to be interpreted however you feel or think like.
The last supper for example is the institute of the sacraments of Eucharist and priesthood. This is the objective meaning, it has a historic record of this believe by the Early Church (see the Didache).
What do you offer people? Because it is not what has been given and revealed by our Lord.
Catholic here, I really love the cathedrals, whether they be Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox. It’s a testimony to the glory of God and His greatness.
Fellow Catholic here!
I like both Catholic and Protestant churches. the architecture simply expresses different focuses. The Catholics want to represent the greatness and glory of God, while the Protestants focus more on the closeness in the relationship between God and man.
Yeah...God doesnt really exist. Funny how they say he is all powerful and can make all kinds of stuff. Yet the ONE thing god cant do is make time to come and reveal himself on Xms and say happy birthday....to me. Just like a deadbeat dad.
@@UpcomingJedino one cares
@@UpcomingJedi I actually do have evidence for His existence! Highly recommend checking out the Eucharistic Miracles!
Seen many European cathedrals including Norte Dame de Paris before the fire, and I must say they are quite stunning 🤩
Such an excellent way to describe modern church building while describing the majesty of previous architectural feats. As a former Protestant, I’ve always envied the soul present in many Catholic and Orthodox buildings that ours sorely lacked.
Yeah the beauty of Catholic Churches is hard to ignore (also a former Protestant)
one of the main reasons I did not go fully zero contact with Catholicism is because of the good churches and the good church songs. Sadly, not all churches in my City gives the "holy" ambiance. the most active community we have here don't do their masses inside the church.
Its better to produce Godly people, than magnificent church buildings.
@@lizh1988 that’s why I became Catholic :)
@@BullSheeper I hung on a long time for the beauty, but in the end it was hollow. I was raised in the Catholic church. I went to Catholic schools.
I hope you are truly interested in knowing the Creator, rather than just the creations of men.
Protestant going to orthodox church meme is gold.
Thanks, I’m gonna use this in the next cathedral I build
I wish we could put modern preferences behind and just make beautiful things like this, ngl as an atheist but an artist I could get lost in some of these in how beautiful they are
My attention is at the altar too. Low church Evangelicals would have their band at the front. But in Catholic Churches, the choirs are at the sides or even at the back, because the center of attention is and should be the Eucharist stored in the Tabernacle.
Then we adorn the surroundings of the Tabernacle with the retablo and the reredos
That's not true about Evangelicals. Some churches may do that, mainly those with smaller stages but other churches still have the choir in the back. More importantly as a Christian you should know God lives inside you. Gone are the days of the Holy Spirit only being inside the altar in the Holy of Holies
@@mustang8206to my understanding, we believe that God is present within us, but only certain aspects of His being. In the Eucharist, He is present in the entirety of his being, body, blood, soul, and divinity. This is why we venerate the Sacrament, because it is not simply God's grace, it is God himself.
@@Jkob712 Amen, brother. Pax tecum!
@@mustang8206 you're setting up a false dichotomy.
The Hagia Sofia is incredible, even after it's desecration
Amen 🙏🏼
@@clangboomsteam How acceptable would it be to take pride in restoring a Church back from a mosque? It'd be forbidden, even on Christian lands in a desperate attempt to not offend Muslims, whom Allah has apparently graced with thinnest of skins, weakest of wills and most desirous of the backsides of smooth skinned lads
@@clangboomsteam how is it shocking?
This is real internet free cultural material. Thanks dude.
My favorite youtube channel rn
I wish they put as much effort into buildings today as they did with these cathedrals.
I stand by my belief that religious buildings like synagogues, mosques, temples, and ofc cathedrals etc are some of the most breathtakingly beautiful structures ever
Agreed 💯
I'm so glad you randomly showed up on my shorts. Your content is top tier. Thanks!
Me too! Just this morning! I’m now starting to watch all these videos and they’re really really good 😊
When cathedrals were built to ever greater heights. The pressure on the stones was released as sound vibrations, giving the effect that the stones were wailing. I heard a simulation of it once. The bishops must have done a bit of extra consecrating when they heard it.
i’m presbyterian raised in catholic influence and my church is actually sooooo pretty bcs it’s very catholic inspired at victorian era in modern atlanta and i’ve always loved the architecture
Which church is it? I was raised in a Presbyterian Church in South Carolina that was built in the 60s and boy did it look like the 60s. Lol
have you even SEEN the orthodox cathedrals?????? Growing up in Russia, they were stunning, and honestly i was scared to go inside of them as a kid because usually they are really dark inside, they have huge tall ceilings, so many details, so many depictions of different saints, people crying while praying, very loud, kinda scary echoing of singing, smell of burnt wax and smoke, large metal chandeliers, it was just so overwhelming!!!!! I couldn't stay inside for too long because i was too overwhelmed with everything and usually left after just a couple of minutes inside.
I loved the Alexander nevsky cathedral in tallinn and the upsenski cathedral in helsinki, they were both stunning. I am yet to visit Russia however.
It's not dark inside, it's lit with lights and candles. And people don't cry, they sing. I dunno what kind of service you happened to visit as a child, but I am sorry it left you with such an unpleasant impression. Try the Easter Service sometime, you'll see how happy it is.
@@Caledoniadream unpleasant...? what in the world do you mean by that, dark doesn't equal something bad nor does crying during prayer
@xylophone_8888 i got the impression that the person didn't feel good about it
@@Caledoniadream no like, in small villages or towns for example people often go there to pray for their lost loved ones, and in the church close to where i live rn its really dark a lot of time (except for easter or any other holiday when there are a lot of people and so more candles), but there are some quiet churches with good lighting. Its just that the most of which I've been to/ go to are dark and have people crying. Like i remember when my grandmother died my dad took me to a church near his old house and there were a lot of people crying and praying for their lost family and friends.
As a regular churchgoer I find this very interesting! Thanks!
I honestly think the idea of a restoration of heaven implememted into a cathedral is so beautiful
I just want massive gothic and art-deco projects to come back. I would LOVE to work on a generational project that would shape and house culture for centuries.
... this goes for me too... Amen.
As shown with the cathedral of cologne, we wouldn't need generations to finish them nowadays. It was started 1250 but they run out of money ~200 years later so they didn't finish it's towers for roughly 400 years. After 1800 they returned and finished it in less than 50 years. Nowadays if we really wanted to it would take less than a decade to build one that would outshine all medieval cathedrals. The modern cathedral is f.e. the exploration of the solar system, what indeed requires generations of afford, not one building, no matter how great and complex it is, because with our modern tech it's a piece of cake, compared to the efforts it took our ancestors.
So study hard and you can be part of the construction of our modern day cathedrals. It's not like the buildmasters and masons of the past didn't require a lifetime of training to achieve the skills needed to do what they did.
Suddenly it makes sense why churches these days feel so architecturally boring
It's not about architecture it's about God
So if you have a God-given talent, then you shouldn't use it?@mustang8206
@@mustang8206you don’t want God’s house to be pretty?
@@Tea_laBlue- See, protestants don't believe that the physical church is God's house. It's just a place believers gather to fellowship and worship. God is with and is omnipresent.
its just american ones
A lot of wooden cathedrals and churches were pragmatic too. The Norwegians, for example, had an abundance of wood and were used to wood carving, so it made sense for them to build churches and cathedrals of wood for centuries
You should have way more subscribers…the problem is that nowadays people are mostly interested in silly skits , fake videos etc…. Good job man
As someone who took AP Art History and had to see many of these cathedrals and places of worship, this all checks out!! I’m so happy to see the knowledge I learned in the class being told about out here. Keep up the good work! Love seeing all these historical facts
It sounds like bs to me. People built churches out of wood when nations were poor and trees were abundant. Cathedrals were build in the Renaissance when everyone was getting rich and there was abundant money to build cathedrals out of stone.
Some information are incorrect, indeed about gpd come in 1000 AD was false myth about middle age, about Romanico was more about resoursce rather than materials are linked to deviel
In Denmark, most churches have been built after the general idea of a ship. That's not to say that they look like boats, but the terminology for the main parts of the danish churches literally has the word 'ship' in it. And it's not just some fun little coincidence; Some churches even have models of old wooden ships hanging somewhere from the ceiling - it's diffrent from church to church how the recieved them though. One story i was told by a priest once who had visited another church with one of these ships was that the church's ship had been donated by a group of sailors who'd been on that very ship when it went down while out at sea. They were the only survivors and when they eventually made a model replica of their ship they gifted it to the church because the pastor at the time had helped them or something along those lines.
Orthodox cathedrals are definitely the best, all of the gorgeous iconography is truly something else
Oh yes, the idolatry in all its glory. No wonder orthodox countries are so undeveloped and godless
I prefer the Catholic cathedrals as I grew up visiting them and absolutely adore the architecture, but I have been in a few orthodox cathedrals, and they managed to take my breath away just as much.
Absolutely beautiful.
@@AndorRadnai I also grew up visiting Catholic cathedrals since i´m Colombian but once i found Orthodox Cathedrals i converted , Orthodox Cathedrals are really complex to honor God in every single inch
@andresgalindo7682 is that the reason you converted?
Sure, Orthodox cathedrals are the best; especially the once's that Tuff-Shed puts to shame.
I've never been religious, and I'm very critical of any and all religious organisations, but cathedrals and churches have the most beautiful architecture
Not to mention that people would work hard on even the small things as another way of showing dedication
Raised and still am Anglican. Grew up in a glorified shed of a church. Talking to over Christians as well as Muslims really shows how much value they place on how they perceive material worth.
While on the other hand, many other church's (eg American mega churches) go over the top and end up with a modern state of the art performance hall
It really goes to show what their priorities are. I grew up in all sorts of churches as a kid before finding a home in the Episcopal Church. Those mega churches with “campuses” see themselves as a for-profit concert venue that prioritizes emotions and feelings and word salad over substance.
Wish they'd build affordable housing.
Went to see the church down in the Salt Mine in Krakow today. Insanely beautiful.
Beautiful, beautiful explanation! Thank you!
There's also the difference between spending money on a new statue or $10k equipment vs. on charities and others. My church is small and out of a business park, but we spend the money appropriately. I find that for all these gaudy mega churches wasting their money, there's a dozen little churches who spend similar budgets.
Very true 👏👏
On the other way, the more beautiful and extravagant a church is the more believers and tourists it attracts, and more people means more donations to give back to the community in need so it's like playing a long game (this case) vs short game (your case)
@areswalker5647 Yes, but this is under the catholic connotations of churches being extravagant affairs meant to make you closer to God. See, that's the biggest difference between simple and fancy church: is the church the people or the building? I firmly believe it's the people and the community they foster. Hagai Sophia was a beautiful church, but when the fall of Constantinople led to the massacre and enslavement of thousands, the destruction of the icons, and the conversion to a mosque, the church lost its status as a real church and its members were gone/dead. It stands today as a mosque and tourist attraction, still called Sophia's church by some, but that's not a real church anymore. So too do material things come and go, which is why spending the money on helping others instead of such material items that can be stolen is so much more important.
@@floridasavannah interesting point of view but when you say "material items come and go" I have to disagree on that when speaking about monuments like churches. It may be my European catholic bias talking but here what changes is the people in the churches and not the churches themselves. Generation after generation of believers that were baptized, received their first communion, married and later had their funerals in the same church. We regularly go into churches that are from hundreds and hundreds of years ago, most of them go back to before the country was even officially a country, from a time in which people were not educated enough to read so they needed to learn by seeing the paintings and statues in the church and by listening to the priest's words and the choirs songs and musics. So to us a church is something that stays no matter what, no matter the time, the natural disasters, the wars, the bombings; a church is the home of God and in it you're welcomed as Its child, in it you learn by listening and seeing like a child and in it you've left amazed by the alluring of the simbolism. This is what a church is to a Catholic believer.
@@floridasavannah another point is money. As I've said before the more people a church can attract the more donations it gets, but it's not only that, donations are not just money but gold, silver and art pieces too and the more art pieces you have the more people it attracts (especially not believers that otherwise wouldn't enter a church). It's a beast feeding itself, an unstoppable circle of give and take. The events you can organize when people know the importance of that church are extremely big and reach so many people: i.e. we have traditional events that are so important in the local community that even if you've emigrated in another country you go back for a few days just to be part of that event with the locals. People travel the country to see a specific event of a little town in nowhere. During the time before the event, people donate even more than usual so that the event can be even more beautiful than the previous year. Every place has its own event and all donations made go back to the people.
Local culture also played a part.
Here in Norway the first churches where often made by boat builders and heavily inspired by boat design since that was what was available here at the time, and the best craftsmen we had.
And rock was always a less common building material for us for all buildings, churches included.
I'm not muslim but I've always been impressed by the amount of craftmanship that goes into mosques. Always nice designs and colors being used
Old churches are often the most serene places one can find, and absolutely excellent places to reflect on things. This is probably as intended. The area around them is oft a garden or a plaza, which are still incredible community centers, even when their religious function is waning.
Your content is all amazing but I especially love when you touch on religion and spirituality. You take complex or abstract concepts and make them so relatable. You raise awareness and you do it respectfully. Keep doing what makes you happy! 😁
As a Medievalist and someone studying Art History for a minor that first presumption is wildly incorrect. While SOME people believed that Christ was coming back in the year 1000 this was not universally believed in Christendom and as such a vast majority of Christian Cathedrals were constructed of stone- not wood.
Also, Cistercians (a Catholic religious order) don’t believe the material world is ‘evil’ but merely emphasize poverty and plainness in their Churches.
Necessary beats believe and art follows needs.
@@blub5117 it doesn’t matter, most Cathedrals weren’t made of wood back then 🤷🏻♂️
@@kristianpowell3760most cathedrals started as these small village churches. As the importance of the churches villages grew, they became the designated church of a cardinal and by that cathedrals. They started as wooden houses, became stone towers by necessity and grew into what we now know when they lost that function more and more. The believe system followed the necessary. It was not like that video suggests that the believe system shaped the art.
@@blub5117 where are you getting this information? Very little of it is true. Cathedrals almost always began and remained in large, pre-established cities, think Rome, Ravenna, Paris, Cologne and thus the cities were already large enough so as to require a stone church. Second, in the Early Medieval period the office of Cardinal was still developing and very few Cardinals existed so a vast majority of dioceses didn’t have Cardinals, especially outside of Italy.
as an Italian student of medieval and early Christian art history I can tell you that this video is full of inaccuracies
How so? I don't disagree, but I'm curious as to exactly how he's inaccurate.
@@Jkob712 For example, wooden churches were not present until after the 17th/19th century, also because originally the Christian religion was persecuted by the Romans and Arabs, therefore the places of worship were hidden in cellars or complexes of underground chambers, until under the reign of the emperor Constantine the persecutions ended and pre-existing temples of minor Roman divinities were reused as places of worship and were therefore made of Roman marble or concrete (example: temple of Portus in Rome) but sometimes new churches were built, some even by Constantine's own will, these are also in masonry, perhaps the most spectacular example is the Saint Sophia of Constantiniple, this is just one of the various answers I could give but I don't want to go on too long
@@solair_merdone3479 what about areas outside of Roman or Arab influence? When I was studying the religious impact of the Norman invasion of England, I was led to believe that wooden churches were commonplace in Britain by 1066, and only died out after that.
@@Jkob712yeah seconding this. It makes sense that this would be the case, but it sounds like ur education on the subject is heavily centered on present day Italy. Stave churches absolutely existed before when u said. I think the oldest surviving one is like 900 years old
@@solair_merdone3479 I think the two guys below your comment have a point. Although the guy talking about "areas outside of Roman or Arab influence" probably didn't study enough history around 0A.D. to understand what he's talking about, since the majority of the known world was under Roman influence at the time (hence under persecution). Wooden churches would definitely have been commonplace in places where materials like stone or essential components for making concrete were lacking. It would not be wrong to say that there were wooden churches in early Christian ages, especially if you think about how eager Christians must have been to build at least chapels or shrines as soon as they were no longer under persecution. Many important religious structures started out as wooden structures before being built into more permanent places of worship.
Architecture student here, one detail left out is the funding, centralization, and control that the church had at the time. Keep in mind the Catholic Church practically controlled the European government around the time that many of the Baroque, Gothic, and Classical churches were built. This allowed them the money to spend on making these beautiful structures which did serve practical purposes. The arches are a really good way to support heavy loads and host large assemblies. Even the buttressing on the sides serves a purpose of directing force to the ground. The largeness of the space also helped acoustics in a time where buildings had no systems.
Nowadays Christianity is much more decentralized and has less grip on the government and taxes. There may be 20 lesser churches in your hometown, each with different styles. Other than that, the style of the church is also shaped by the history at the time. My hometown has a contemporary church like you showed but it also has a large classical one that resembles a Greek temple. Why did Christians build temples like the Greeks and Roman’s? It doesn’t say anything about their beliefs because these were pagan religions to them… The reason why is that the Italians of the renaissance were inspired by the structures of Ancient Rome and Greece. And the pantheon becomes a co-opted symbol for Christianity. Long story short, you are exactly right that the beliefs of the people affect the architecture, however there are hidden factors at play that make the comparison to modern day mute.
My church started in a warehouse before they got their own building, so we're called the Warehouse church. Our current building wasn't built as a church but it's not the building that matters, God is with us in any and every building.
The feeling you get when entering some of these churches and cathedrals is just breath taking
I've always been fascinated by the styles of building for Cathedrals and just want to visit them... It's like a beauty
Rven though I indetify as a buddhist after a few years of atheism, these cathedrals and the thought and care behind making them as a appreciation of god is absolutely incredible. Some of the art and symbolisms they have are beautiful.
Probably the most educational short I've ever seen.
yeah been getting rare these days.
Another interesting aspect is their opinion on iconography. In a time when most were illiterate, having images that displayed scenes from the bible like the crucifiction could help with story-telling and remembering of biblical themes. But some people felt this was too similar to worshiping false gods, idols, or graven images (the various terms for this should help show that this was a common disagreement). In Islam, we see this belief manifest as a complete banning of any images of the Prophet, which is why mosques are often famous for their intricate geometric design - without the anthropomorphic metaphor for the divine, a mathematical one was used, to brilliant effect.
Thank God we still building decorated churches with color glass here. I love the feeling of something monumental in the air and even the look of saints paintings and bible scenes❤❤
I’m not Christian but I always loved old churches. They look so big and majestic. Inside temperature is medium and so quiet.
There are other, more practical influences as well. Costs were mentioned here already. Another, related factor is history/the genealogy of power. For example, many cathedrals in Spain are converted mosques. On the other hand, the Hajia Sophia (shown in the video) is actually a mosque but it used to be a cathedral.
There's not a catedral in Spain that's a converted mosque.
@@pacomaciasarrate6809 there is a Wikipedia page called "Conversion of mosques into non-Islamic places of worship." Feel free to check it out. Under the sub-heading for churches, the top 16 on that (incomplete) list are located in Spain.
Ah yes, the average protestant church, located between a Pawn Shop and a Chuck E Cheese
That doesn't change the quality of what is preached. The first Christians didn't even have a dedicated building, but would meet up in random places due to persecution.
@@arcturus4317random houses would be better
@@arcturus4317Let's be honest, it certainly is a sign of decay. The cathedrals are truly awe-inspiring, and if there is anything sacred in this world, it feels as if they put you in touch with it. Even a small church, when properly constructed, has the capacity to inspire. The strip mall, on the other hand, is the _last_ place you would go to get in touch with the sacred.
@@arcturus4317 you’d probably sell your own sister for cash
A Cathedral contains a Cathedra, the seat of a bishop. Not every pre-modern church building is a Cathedral.
We need more breathtaking architecture
Baroque cathedrals are just the goat 🐐
This goes to show that architecture is a fascinating subject
Saying churches made of wood is because they didnt have to last long is pretty reductive. In Norway the majority of natural rock is granite, not exactly building material, so almoat all our churches are wood. And just look at our old stave Churches, they were built to LAST
Yea I was thinking this too there's definitely more factors then just that. Weren't some churches also hidden like underground because Christianity started as a taboo in contrast to Greek and Roman polytheism
Granite is great for building. If you can work it*
@@ObservationofLimits sure. Kinda difficult before the invention of dynamite though. The only Norwegian cathedral was built out of Soapstone
Religion, regardless of what it is, always makes some of the most beautiful pieces of human architecture. Most college educated architects today fail to craft buildings that even mimic the beauty of the churches, mosques, and temples of old.
Yup. Their fundamental design principles are not based in beauty or greater concepts any more, only cost effectiveness and building code.
They could afford the best architects and builders.